How Much Light Do Your Houseplants Need? (2024)

Too much or too little light can quickly stress a plant, making it more prone to disease, pests, and premature death. Fortunately, most plants are labeled with information about their sunlight preferences, such as full sun or partial shade. So, which windows do you have, and can you accommodate plants there?

Before bringing home a plant, know more about your indoor sun exposure to ensure the success of a houseplant living in your space.

Determining Indoor Plant Lighting

It's often easier to determine the amount of sun in your yard than inside.Outdoors, you can see where it's shady and where the sun is hitting directly. Light is more subtle indoors. These are three main types of indoor plant lighting:

1. Bright Light: Bright light means a sunny southern- or western-facing window receiving direct light all day. It should get at least five to six hours of sunlight each day, preferably more. Plant care can sometimes be harder in winter; resist the temptation to move your plant closer to the window. Most plants that need bright light will not be able to handle the cold drafts that increase the closer you move toward a window.
2. Indirect Light: Indirect light can be found in places with an east-facing window or in the interior of a room that receives full light from a south- or west-facing window. For instance, this can also mean there's a sheer curtain between the light source and your plant.
3. Low Light: Many rooms qualify as low light, especially in winter. Rooms with north-facing or partially shaded windows would qualify as low-light situations. If you can't easily read a newspaper, it's probably low light. Plants can still grow in low-light rooms with the addition of artificial light. Shade plants will do the best in low-light conditions.

Finding optimal indoor lighting for your plant can take some trial and error. Monitor the plant closely and take cues from it. Remember, if your plant seems happy and healthy, let it be. If not, try another spot.

Signs Your Plant Needs More Light

If your plant shows signs of needing more light, move it to a window with more sun exposure or add a supplemental grow light to intensify the light it receives. In the times of the year when the window gets less light (winter in the northern hemisphere), consider adding an artificial light source for your plant.

Here are some clear signs of light deprivation in plants:

• Legginess and leaning: When a plant's limbs get long and skinny, almost reaching for the sun, it seeks more light. The plant may lean, twist, or turn to reach the sun.
• Small leaves or stunted growth: If a plant typically produces larger leaves but opts for producing small leaves, it does not have enough energy or sunlight. A lack of light stunts its usual growth.
• Yellow leaves: Discoloration or pale leaves may indicate your plant has lighting issues. Similarly, if you have a variegated or white-streaked plant that turns all-green, it spreads its chlorophyll to keep the plant alive.
  

How to Measure Light Intensity

The three best ways to measure light intensity are eyeballing it, using an app, or getting a light meter. The critical point is that light exposure for a particular spot changes throughout the day and at different times of the year. So, no matter whether you measure with your eyes, an app, or a light meter, while the sun is shining, measure the spot and record your observations several times a day.

It's essential to account for the sun's position in relation to the Earth (summer vs. winter day length) and your home's position on the Earth (angle of the sun). Are you in the northern or southern hemisphere or closer to the equator? When the days are long, and the sun is high in the sky, your western-facing window may get full sun for the entire day. When the days shorten, a western-facing window will not be enough light for a plant that craves full sun.

Lighting professionals measure the amount of light falling on a specific point or object in quantifiable terms, such as foot candles (British system) and lux or lumens (metric system). If you're using an app or light meter, you'll likely get results in one or both of these terms.

Plant Types for Different Indoor Lighting

If you know what kind of lighting you have, certain plants prefer bright light, others can tolerate filtered light, and other plant groups prefer little light. All plants need some light, and some can tolerate all levels. Here's a good starting point when considering plants that might work for your space.

Bright Light

• Succulents: Aloe, jade, cactus, agave, echeveria
• Palms: Sago, ponytail, areca
• Sedges or grasses: Papyrus, bamboo
• Snake plants: Bird's nest, cylindrical, twist, variegated
• Spurge plants: Crotons, euphorbia
• Herbs: Parsley, sage, dill, rosemary, basil, thyme

Indirect Light

• Ti plant
• China doll plant
• Hibiscus
• Orchids
• Jasmine
• Dragon tree
• Fiddle leaf fig

Low Light

• Lucky bamboo
• Pothos
• Fern
• Ivy
• Peace lily
• ZZ Plant
• Philodendron
• Monstera
• Chinese evergreen
• Prayer plant

Other Indoor Plant Needs

When determining how much light your houseplant will require, you must consider the rest of the environment.

• Temperature: Plants positioned near a heat source, such as a heating vent, may not be able to handle as much bright light as a similar plant in a cooler spot. If your plant often looks like it's wilting, even though you give it regular water, the heat source may be part of the issue.
• Water and Humidity: As with temperature, a low level or lack of moisture in the air or soil can cause plants to wilt and stress. Adjusting humidity can be as simple as misting the plant regularly or providing a nearby humidifier.
• Air circulation: Plants need air to breathe and for the basic functions of photosynthesis. Good air circulation also keeps insects, fungal spores, and diseases at bay. However, most houseplants can't handle drafts.